Improved means foe stopping koeses



nit-rh taies i Letters Patent No. 81,157, dated August 18, 1868.

IMPROVED MEANS FOR STOPPING HORSESl -tlp tlgehnle referrer tu im tigen Eaters rtent mit mating puri at its stmt.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN Be it known that I, NORMAN FOUNTAIN, of the city and State of 4New York, have invented and made a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Stopping -Horscs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the sanne, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is an 'elevation'of the horses head, with the apparatus .applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan of the spring and compressing-apparatus for the horses nose.-

Figure 3 is a sideview of the same, and i v 4 Figure 4 is an elevation of therein-lever that is employed at the side of the driver, between the body of the vehicle and the wheel. i

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

Previous to my invention, a compress or pad h as been appliedtothe nose of a horse, to pressiupon the nostrils and partially close the same, and make the horse open .his mouth to breathe, and thereby loose the hold of the hit with his teeth, or else so far overpower the animal, by excluding the air from his lungs, as to render him docile and obedient to 'the rein.

The devices heretofore employed have, however, been very cumbersome, and disfigured, the horses head.

The nature of my said invention consists in a relieving-spring that carries the compress or pads, and simply `requires to be pulled upon by a rein to apply the compress or `pads to the nostrils by the bending of the spring, and when the rein is released, the spring, recovering its normal shape, releases the horses nose from the compressing action of thepad. v

In the drawing, a represents the hcadstall, of any usual or' desired construction, 'Z) the bit and ring, and c the guiding-reins. Y

Into the headstall, at the sidesl above the hit, the metallic slides d are introduced and secured to the straps near their upper ends. The lower ends are formed as mortises or loops, through which passes the spring e, that is lient into about the shape shownv in g. 2, and to tho hack ends of this spring the' stopping-reins f are attached.

. 3r 3 are stops, to prevent the spring sliding too far forward. v

' The middle portion of the spring' e, that passes in front of the horscsnose, is padded or covered with an India-rubber tube, as seen at e', to prevent injuryto the nose-hy the thin spring e. 'Y

4 is alstrap, uniting the slides d.' i y rllhe compressgpads'g g are formed as scon in figs. 2 and 3, and are attached upon the spring e, so that they may somewhat incline towardseach other.

When not in use, the centre parte vof the spring rests lightly upon the horses nose, andthe pads g g, occupying the position shown byblaek lines in iig. 2, do not in any manner interfere with the breathing of the horseyand there is nothing unsightly about the apparatusl K When the reins f are pulled upon, thespring e e is bent over the horses nose, and the pads or compress g g are forced tightly upon the nostrils, to exclude su'llicient air to lbring the horse under control.

The dotted blue line, in iig. 2, illustrates the position ofthe parts when the stopping-apparatus is in use.

The reinfmay be short for horseback-riding, or. extend double or single to the driver ofthe vehicle.

, If the reins f were kept drawn when the`horse`was standing still, the result might be injurious tothe animal, and if relieved he mig-htrun away if left alone; I therefore provide the lever t, set upon a fulcrum, z', that projects as-an arm from the side ofthe vehicle. This fulcrum may be adjustableqin and out.

The lowcx: end of the lever h is made as a curve towards the wheel, as seon in lig. 5, and ordinarily the lever hangs vertically and clear of contact with the wheel. Y

A t the upper part of the lever is a Ahook or clamp for receiving either or both reins, c f, so that the driver before leaving his vehicle can connect the reins to the uppeipart of this lever, whieh'swings that end towards the vehicle by the diagonal pull of the reins, throwing the curved lower end of the lever in between two of the spokes. In this position the parts will remain, but if the horse starts, thc spokes of the wheel act upon said lever 7L, and pull the reins sufficiently to stop the horse.

l It`wi1l be evident that, in place of the-pads g to compress the nostrils, the lpads may be shaped so as to cover over the end of the nostrils, therelieving action of the spring b eing the same in both eases.

The stops 3 prevent the spring e and pads g sliding too far forward when not in use.

What I claim, and desirel to secure b'y Letters Patent,isa

1. The spring e, carrying the pads g, and adapted to passi/11g across the horses nose, in combination with the metallic slides d, introduced in the headstall, and with the reinf, attached at the back 4ends of said spring, the parts operating in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

2. The lever 7L, fitted as specied, in combination withthe reins, for thc purposes se't forth.

Dated, March 7, A. D. 1868,

NORMAN FOUNTAIN.

Witnesses:

CEAS. H. SMITH, Gsm D. WALKER. 

